Poll: GOP Base Strongly Supports Traditional Marriage

In spite of recent moves in the Republican Party to drop opposition to gay marriage from the party platform, two conservative groups released a poll showing that GOP voters still believe that marriage should only be between a man and a woman.

Seventy-four percent of Republicans and those who lean Republican said they definitely agree with the traditional definition of marriage, according to the poll. Commissioned by the Family Research Council and American Values, the poll of 801 Republicans and Republican-leaning independents was conducted in March, Politico reported.

"This survey should remind political and cultural leaders that this debate is far from over," Gary Bauer, president of American Values, told Politico. "Public policymakers are doing a great disservice to themselves and future generations by continuing to misread the convictions of the American people."

While efforts are being made to make the GOP more inclusive, this poll shows the party's base is still catching up with recent trends.

In another poll released in March by the Pew Research Center, 61 percent of young Republicans between 18 and 29 years of age said they supported gay marriage. By comparison, only 22 percent of Republicans age 65 and up back gay marriage.

In spite of these efforts, Family Research Council President Tony Perkins told Politico that the "vast majority of the GOP base continues to believe that marriage is a non-negotiable plant of the national platform and want to see their elected officials uphold natural marriage as the national standard."